Barnsley micro-label Of National Importance Records once again demonstrate the Yorkshire town has a lot to offer for discerning fans of alternative music of a darker, new wave persuasion with the release of the eponymous debut by The Black Lamps. They describe themselves as ‘an alternative post-rock and ambient guitar band’ : I say they sound more like classic shoegaze crossed with late 80s Cure. Hell, that’s no criticism by any stretch.
Opener ‘The Archivist’ has heavy echoes of ‘Disintegration’, as much on account of its dense production as its drifting synths, before bursting into Ride-esque waves of soaring guitar, while ‘Colour 8’ mixes the same dreamy FX-laden sound with ‘Darklands’ era Jesus and Mary Chain to create something more straight ahead in its dynamics. ‘There Are No More Surprises’ is jangly, echoey and evocative, and the shimmering drift of ‘Gene Pool’ evolves nicely from a gentle sweep to a towering swell. The final track, ‘Scissors, Paper, Stone’, may be of a distinctly 90s vintage, but it provides a gloriously uplifting sunburst finish to an accomplished album.
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The Black Lamps Online
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